Tag: carbon emissions

If your supply chain still depends on people chasing spreadsheets and calling warehouses, you are at risk. When your team reacts to crises instead of strategically positioning the organisation to manage risk, inefficiency becomes a liability. South African business leaders must now confront a hard truth. Autonomy is not a futuristic concept. It is a present-day necessity.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a tool for progress. It is quickly becoming a test of responsibility. South African companies race to harness artificial intelligence for innovation and growth, but few ask the most critical question: at what environmental cost?

Access to reliable electricity remains a significant challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas. Expanding grid infrastructure is often prohibitively expensive and impractical due to difficult terrain and large distances from urban centres. As a result, millions of people rely on costly and polluting diesel generators or go without electricity altogether. Off-grid solar solutions have emerged as a transformative tool in bridging this energy gap.

Africa, a continent blessed with abundant natural resources, is home to many people reliant on traditional cooking methods. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly four out of five Africans still use traditional cooking fuels. These fuels include wood and charcoal, which contribute to deforestation and carbon pollution.

The findings of PwC’s inaugural Voice of the Consumer Survey highlight changing attitudes toward responsibly sourced and eco-friendly goods. Released in May 2024, the findings are based on 15 years of research and insights from over 20,000 shoppers in 31 countries. 46% of respondents reported buying more sustainable products to reduce their personal environmental impact. These evolving attitudes have caught the attention of South African e-commerce businesses, given the growth of online shopping.

Renewable electricity contracts, or power purchase agreements, are in high demand as companies and governments seek sustainable solutions, leading to growth in solar and wind energy purchases to meet net-zero carbon emission targets and reduce environmental impact. 

A wave of technology and process innovation is sweeping the construction industry. The options and pace of change can be overwhelming, so it’s important to stay focused on the goal of all innovation – to improve efficiency, productivity and safety, for the industry and society at large.

The mechanisms created under the new Climate Change Act must be implemented in accordance with the principles set out in section 3 and with a view to achieve the Act's objectives set out in section 2. The Act imposes different duties on different categories of government stakeholders, including organs of state which are required to revise, amend, coordinate and harmonise their policies, laws, measures, programmes and decisions in order to ensure that the risks of climate change impacts and associated vulnerabilities are taken into consideration.

Global tourism has begun surpassing its pre-COVID-19 peak. South Africa remains a popular tourist destination with the hospitality sector contributing significantly to its gross domestic product (GDP). Competition in the hospitality industry is intensifying, making the marginal and not-so-marginal gains offered by artificial intelligence (AI) a vital consideration for any hospitality operator.

Globally, the building and construction industry has been putting more emphasis on using energy-efficient technologies and equipment to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption in buildings. This has resulted in the integration of renewable energy sources in building designs with solar panels, wind turbines, and even geothermal systems becoming commonplace.